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Unconscious bias in recruitment and decision making committees | Staff intranet | Victoria University of Wellington
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Unconscious bias in
recruitment and decision
making committees
Learn about unconscious bias and how it can impact
decision making in recruitment and decision making.
What is bias
Bias can be conscious or unconscious. Often, conscious bias can be
easier to address as the individual is generally aware of their bias and
can seek to moderate their own behaviour, or receive feedback from
others, that the bias is unacceptable.
Unconscious bias refers to a bias that we are unaware of. Unconscious
bias happens by our brains making incredibly quick judgments and
assessments of people and situations without us realising. This is
because our brains need to take shortcuts when processing
information and data. If they didn’t, we would be unable to function
eﬀectively. These shortcuts are inﬂuenced by our background, cultural
environment and personal experiences.
We can’t stop our brain using shortcuts, however we can take actions
to address our biases, to make sure the decisions we are make are fair
and in line with our values. In this handout you’ll ﬁnd information, tips,
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Unconscious bias in recruitment and decision making committees | Staff intranet | Victoria University of Wellington
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and links to additional resources to support fair and equitable decision
making.
If you haven’t been on a recruitment panel or promotions
committee previously you need to complete the online course:
Moving from Bias to Inclusion in a DEI Journey through our
Online Leadership Development Programme.
This online programme also includes short refresher courses
and videos, including an expert insights on unconscious bias
series. Contact [email address] to arrange access.
If you have previously been on a recruitment panel or
promotions committee, this short video from the Royal Society
Te Apārangi will provide a quick refresher.
There are also short courses and videos available through our
Online Leadership Development Programme, including an
expert insights series. Contact [email address] to arrange
access.
Checking your bias and the ladder of
inference
It helps to be aware of your own bias. Once we accept that we will all
quite naturally use subconscious mental shortcuts, then we can take
the time to consider them and reﬂect on whether such implicit thought
processes are inappropriately aﬀecting the objectivity of our decision-
making.
Using the Ladder of Inference teaches you to look at facts unbiased
and not to judge too soon. It is a way to use your own convictions and
experiences in a positive manner. The Ladder of Inference can be used
in the three following ways:
1. Becoming aware of your own thoughts and reasoning.
2. Make clear to others how your own reasoning process works. This
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Unconscious bias in recruitment and decision making committees | Staff intranet | Victoria University of Wellington
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will allow others to have a better understanding of someone’s
motives.
3. Research the thought process of other people, by actively asking
them about it.
The Ladder of Inference can be used in every stage of the thought
process. Anyone can train themselves to do so, for example, by asking
the following questions:
Am I drawing the right conclusion?
Why did I assume this?
Is my conclusion based on facts?
Why do I think this is the right thing to do?
Can I do this in a diﬀerent way?
It is also useful to identify the level of the ladder you are currently on.
Sometimes it is smart to go back to a lower step. By asking yourself
what you are thinking and why at each step, you will be able to analyse
each step and no longer jump to premature conclusions.
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Text description of image
How to overcome biases
Making decisions about candidates is hard work and depends on
being able to judge them entirely on their merits. Each and every one of
us tends to believe that we are more fair, and less prejudiced than the
average person.
We can help overcome these biases by:
Acknowledging that we all have biases.
Learning to recognise your own biases.
Consciously acting as if there is no bias.
Adopting slow thinking (take time to check your decisions, make
sure you are not reacting from an emotional perspective, use the
Ladder of Inference to check your thinking).
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Unconscious bias in recruitment and decision making committees | Staff intranet | Victoria University of Wellington
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Recognising your tendency to ﬁll in blanks with your own
assumptions.
Being prepared to ask the right questions and look for information
that contradicts your own perceptions.
Taking time to gather additional information even if you think you
know what you need to know.
Making an eﬀort to mix with people who are diﬀerent from you and
when you do, focus on what you have in common.
Action points
When preparing for a committee meeting or interview, try to slow
down the speed of your decision making.
Reconsider the reasons for your decision, recognising that they
may be post-hoc justiﬁcations.
Question cultural stereotypes that seem truthful. Be open to seeing
what is new and unfamiliar and increase your knowledge of other
groups.
Remember you are unlikely to be more and less prejudiced than
the average person.
You can detect unconscious bias more easily in others than in
yourself so be prepared to call out bias when you see it.
You can download a summary of this information.
Additional resources
The Neuroleadership Journal Breaking Bias (PDF) presents a frame that
lays out three easy steps for organisations to use to break bias
The Royal Society Te Apārangi paper Unconscious Bias Brieﬁng 2015
(PDF) provides guidance speciﬁcally for recruitment panels and
committees.
The Harvard Business Review, June 2011 article Before you Make that
Big Decision discusses the biases which can creep into every strategic
choice and how they can be avoided.
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Sign in to watch a recording of the Unconscious Bias webinar
facilitated by TELUS Health (formerly Benestar).
https://intranet.wgtn.ac.nz/human-resources/recruitment/planning/unconscious-bias
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